Much of last week’s meeting of the Historic District Commission focused on a chimney. Barbara Gavron, at 10 Singleton St., asked approval to remove an inoperative chimney.
The house dates to 1897 and is considered contributing. The chimney does not have an operative flue below it. Gavron submitted pictures of a loose stack of bricks, some of which had a thin veneer of stucco. She explained that the chimney is not visible from the front of the house.
Commissioner Marty Cogan immediately took a hard line. “It’s no big deal, you just have to re-cement those tumbling stones,” she said. “I think chimneys are an integral part of a house and should be repaired.” Others at the table noted that the guidelines allowed some leeway for chimneys not visible on the primary façade.
Commissioner Randy Maddox saw both sides. “I take this very seriously,” he said, although he also acknowledged the chimney’s location and degree of deterioration. Cogan suggested the owner had allowed the chimney to deteriorate. “It’s a shame to destroy historical features,” she said. Commissioner Steve Holifield took Gavron’s side, saying, “We’re asking a homeowner to spend money on a fake chimney.”
In a separate vote, commissioners approved an overhang over a door and window, and a window box below that window. The vote on removing the chimney did not go as smoothly. Cogan remained adamant, and Maddox agonized over his decision before finally abstaining. With commissioner Greg Moon absent, Chair Dee Bright cast the fourth vote needed for approval, allowing Gavron to remove the chimney remnant.
Cogan also cast the only vote against a proposal to add a driveway and a parking area at 44 Prospect Ave. Maddox referred to the house as “one of my favorite houses in town,” and asked about permeable alternatives to concrete. The other commissioners said that would be a topic for the planning commission. Bright said the area in question had previously been paved, and some of those previously paved areas had already been landscaped.
Michael and Melissa Evans had previously received approval for new construction at 159 Spring St. They requested a change in the roofline and the number of lights in the windows. Their plans also eliminated a chimney. They received unanimous approval.
At 268 N. Main St., the commission approved a new retaining wall for Danny Ford above a newly-created parking area. The wall will be limestone, four feet high, and 115 feet long.
With Covid numbers on the rise again, commissioners voted to return to procedures adopted earlier this year. Applicants will receive administrative approval through City Historic Preservation Officer Glenna Booth for most projects. Booth will email applications to commissioners for approval, and applicants can receive a certificate of appropriateness through email.
This arrangement will remain in place for 90 days, although the commissioners can reverse or extend that time period. Eliminating the December meeting meant this was the last meeting for Judy Holden, whose three-year term is ending. Bright thanked her “for her dedicated service.”